Hey this is Shane Vander Hart.
I wanted to make a special announcement about the future of Caffeinated Thoughts Radio. We have had the great privilege of being on local Christian radio for the last three-and-a-half years. It has been a great opportunity, and weāve had a lot of fun. This week I decided to take Caffeinated Thoughts Radio off the air. This is effective immediately, I apologize for the abruptness of this move, but I felt it was best to pull the trigger rather than go a week or two more.
The primary driver for this decision is that, at this time, it does not make good fiscal sense for us to continue. This fiscal year was stretching us financially. If you are not aware the model for Christian talk radio is unlike other formats. To be on Christian radio you have to āpay to play.ā Rates went up this year, but sponsorship, unfortunately, did not. That isnāt to say we have not had generous sponsors, we have.
I would like to thank Myers and Associates, American Principles Project, Iowa Right to Life, Travis Risvold with Modern Woodmen of America, and Crosswalk Counseling for their generous support. Without their support, the last three-and-a-half years would not have been possible.
I would also like to thank Chris Rohloff, the station manager of 99.3fm The Truth who took a chance with us and gave us an opportunity to have a radio show. Iām also grateful for the encouragement and coaching he gave us along the way. Iām also extremely thankful for Ron Carlson who produced our show. He literally kept the wheels on the bus. He took care of the technical aspects of putting the show together so I didnāt have to. Iām going to miss spending Friday mornings with him in the studio.
Iām also thankful for my co-host Brian Myers, someone once called us the āClick and Clack of Christian talk radioā and I think the description is apt. Brian had to roll back his involvement the last couple of months and I can tell you it wasnāt as fun to do the show without him. Iām so appreciative of the time and effort he put forward making the show happen.
Iām also thankful for our listeners. Iām not sure how many there are, but I do hear from you from time to time which is a lot of fun. Thanks for making us a part of your weekly routine.
Iām also thankful for my family for their patience and sacrifice as I pursued this show. Needless to say, this was never a paying gig and spending four to five hours a week making the show happen is no small thing. Without their support, I wouldnāt have been able to do this.
Most of all, Iām thankful to God for His provision, His traveling mercies traveling to the studio in Boone and then Des Moines when we moved there, for the people he allowed me to meet along the way, and for His wisdom and guidance as we considered show topics. My hope is that this effort was pleasing to Him and that some were ministered to in the process.
Whatās next?
We may be going off the air, but Caffeinated Thoughts Radio is not going away for good. I will be taking a brief hiatus and then weāll reboot this as a podcast. Iām still considering the format, length, and frequency so stay tuned. If you have subscribed to the radio showās podcast already just keep your subscription, weāll be using the same channels (and may be adding Podbean as well. We have a channel, but I havenāt done anything with it yet). Our podcast can currently be heard on iTunes, Google Play Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, or on your Android-based phone.
So, God willing, we will be back online with the podcast in a few weeks and perhaps in the future, weāll even be back on the air, but I have peace about this new direction.